Why Ain't I Running?
by Arella Grayson
Summary: Rika/Kazu.. sorta. Separated from the rest of the group, Kazu's mind wanders about everything that's happened.


Song used: Garth Brooks - Why Ain't I Gone  
  
A/N: Yeah so I was thinking about my whole writing more than just Leeki thing and was going through all the guys that can be paired up with Rika... well Takato and Kenta are out of the question for me.. and I don't like to pair her up with Kazu directly so.. I just... well just read it and you'll see what I mean.   
  
  
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The dark night of the digital world vanished as the bright light of the day engulfed the planet instantly, sending slight shadows against the ground from all the mountains and small rocks that poluted the landscape of the desert.  
Kazu moaned, and opened his eyes.  
They had stayed under a tall rock that night, protecting them from the fierce winds that blew around that land they had discovered themselves in after being separated from the team.   
Kazu noticed almost instantly a heavyness pressing against his arm, and that his hand was asleep from it. He groaned under his breath, pretty sure Kenta had collasped on his arm again just like he did most nights, but when he turned his head, he saw an auburn-haired girl fast asleep, having tossed and turned all night and finally coming to rest beside him.  
At first panic surged through Kazu's body coming to the realization that Rika Nonaka was that close to him and if she woke up, that arm that was asleep wouldn't even be there anymore after she got finished with him. He gently pulled his arm out from under her, and smirked. Boy, would he have a story to tell Takato when they met up with the group again.  
  
~ I can hear the highway callin' as I watch the sunrise crawl across her shoulder. This is usually goodbye but those words I just can't find as I hold her. ~  
  
Kazu shook his arm out and reached for the black visor that lay along with his backpack and slipped it onto his head, leaning against his leg as he watched Rika sleep. He really didn't care what Kenta was doing at the moment, for as long as he could remember on this journey he woke up to seeing a drooling green-haired boy beside him, mumbling something about a digimon.  
Well sure, Kazu wanted his own digimon as well, but.... not THAT much.  
He wondered what the famous Rika Nonaka dreamnt about.   
Probably card battle games, kicking digimon butt, and digivolving Renamon to mega. He grinned as his own little joke, and turned his attention to Rika again.   
  
~ Well she's like no other woman that I've ever known before. And it ain't me to see the morning sun from this side of the door. ~  
  
She looked so peaceful laying there in the shade, not really any expression on her face, but he could tell she was having a good dream by the small smile on her face.  
Kazu let out a slow breath watching her. She usually treated him and Kenta like trash. Okay so sure they weren't the most brilliant people on the planet, but they weren't stupid either. If it wasn't for them she'd be stuck out here all by hersel--  
Kazu cut his thoughts off.   
"If it wasn't for us she wouldn't be here at all. She cared enough to come after us... it's our fault we got her stuck here in the first place." he said under his breath, placing his forehead on his knee and closing his eyes.  
  
~ Why ain't I running, why ain't I gone? How does she hold me without holding on. In love or a fight, she's stronger than strong, something's not right if there ain't nothing wrong. It's got me wondering, why ain't I running, why ain't I gone? ~  
  
"Don't blame yourself." a deep female voice came from behind him, and he turned just enough to eye the yellow vixen digimon a moment.  
"What else am I supposed to do? It's our fault you and Rika are here anyways."  
Renamon fell silent at Kazu's remark, then kneeled down beside him, looking over at Rika.  
"She came after you though. Think of all the trouble you two would've gotten into already if we hadn't." Renamon said thoughtfully, and Kazu shook his head.   
"No.. you just don't get it. If it's okay I just want to be left alone, okay?"  
Renamon sighed, hung her head a moment, then rose to her feet. "Alright."  
Renamon vanished from sight, but still stayed beside Rika, making sure nothing happened to her or the two boys. Rika had changed Kazu somehow. He wasn't the stupid boy Rika claimed him to be, he actually cared now. Renamon smirked to herself. "And yet Kenta can't figure out the same traits."  
  
~ All those worlds I left behind me, praying they would never find me and my freedom. But if they stood right here beside me they would never recognize me for all that she's done. ~  
  
Kazu held his knees to his chest and watched Rika, who's back was now turned to him.  
He narrowed his eyebrows a bit, thinking of everything that could be different about this moment if he and Kenta had never tagged along at all. It was all because of their selfishness that Rika was stuck here, away from the rest of the tamers she had grown so close to, and stuck here, with them, who didn't even HAVE digimon to help protect them. The others had Guilmon, Terriermon, and Leomon, but they had nothing but Renamon if a deva found and attacked them.  
Kazu wasn't even sure if the four of them would make it out alive, but he was glad it wasn't only him, for some reason he had a feeling if no-one else was there with him, he'd die from loneliness before a deva ever found him.  
  
~ Once happiness was only whenever I was on my own. So now why do I feel lonely any time that I'm alone? ~  
  
"I'm sorry Rika... I'm so so sorry..." he whispered, unconciously rocking himself back and forth as he watched the girl.  
"Shut up..."  
Kazu sat up straight and almost fell right backwards from moving so fast.  
Rika sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at him, violet eyes studying every part of him.  
"It's not your fault I'm here..." she said matter-of-factly.  
Kazu growled to himself at her blindness to understand the situation, and stood up. "Yes it is... I'm sorry Rika I really am. I wish I'd never come with any of you here. This wouldn't have happened."  
Rika stood to her feet too, and put her hands on her hips. "Then I would be stuck here with only Kenta." she snapped.  
Kazu turned and looked at her. "What?"  
"Look, it's really MY fault we're stuck here! Since I didn't respond fast enough, Renamon didn't pick you two up in time and we were all sucked up by that portal, okay? So stop being such a little baby, pull yourself together, and get over it." she snapped again. "You keep saying how much you want to be a tamer, and yet you act like Takato, and heaven only knows how he got to be a tamer. He's too dense to even figure out what I'm talking about when I say he's got the IQ of a paperweight, and it's an insult to the paperweight."  
Kazu chuckled at her remark, remembering the blank look crossing Takato's face when she had said that too him before they had been scattered across the digital world.  
"Yeah.. I guess you're right..." he quickly corrected himself. "About the me being a baby part... but it's not your fault.. I can't let you take the blame for this." he said under his breath, heartbeat quickening as he realized what he had said to her.  
  
~ Why ain't I running, why ain't I gone? How does she hold me without holding on. In love or a fight, she's stronger than strong, something's not right if there ain't nothing wrong. It's got me wondering, why ain't I running, why ain't I gone? ~  
  
Rika either pretended she didn't hear the remark, or just didn't hear it at all, because she just turned away, kicked Kenta in the side to wake him up, and picked her backpack up off the ground.  
Kazu's heart sank. For some odd reason, he wanted her to hear that, say something, mean or not, just say something about it. But she didn't, he wasn't even sure if it had even registered in her head what it meant. And she talked about Takato being dense...  
"Com'on guys, we have quite aways to go I figure before we meet up with the others.... Renamon!"  
The yellow fox digimon appeared beside her. "Okay guys lets go."  
Kenta, still blinking a few times from abruptly being waken from his sleep, stood, gathered his things into the backpack, and quickly walked up beside Rika.  
  
~ No they've never built a wall that high or made a chain that strong, and God ain't never made a place I felt like I belong. ~  
  
Kazu nodded, following her lead, and Kenta marched to the front of the four, proudly strutting along as if Takato himself.  
Kazu hung back for a few minutes until Rika caught him sulking out of the corner of her eye. Slowing down a bit to come to his pace she put on her best 'I really don't care what your problem is' face, and asked what was wrong.  
Kazu looked up at her. "Rika... what do you dream about?"  
"Huh?" a confused look crossed her face.  
"Just.. something I was thinking about earlier."  
Rika hesitated, watching the ground as she walked, pretending to not see that Renamon was listening to everything she said.  
"I dream about home.. being home with a perfect family again, not my mother being a model and away all the time. Her being home every day and loving me like.. well... Takato's mom loves him."  
Kazu fell silent again. "Oh... "  
"What about you?" Rika looked over at him, moving her thumbs under the straps of her backpack.  
"Getting a digimon and being a tamer mostly.. and you."  
Rika smirked. "Oh, and I got your little hint earlier too..." she suddenly remarked, quicking her pace to go back to being ahead of Renamon.  
Kazu stopped dead in his tracks, jaw dropped open, after letting what Rika said sink in, he ran forwards. "HEY RIKA WAIT UP!!" he called, catching up with the rest of the group.  
  
~ Why ain't I running, why ain't I gone? How does she hold me without holding on. In love or a fight, she's stronger than strong, something's not right if there ain't nothing wrong. It's got me wondering, why ain't I running, why ain't I gone? ~ 


End file.
